Dock weather barriers (weather barrier apparatus), such as dock shelters, prevent the ingress of outdoor environmental conditions or contaminants (e.g., rain, snow, wind, hot/cold temperatures, insects, animals, etc.) into the interior of a building and cargo area of a vehicle during the loading and/or unloading of the vehicle. Dock shelters also prevent the egress of conditioned air from within a building and/or a vehicle cargo area to the outdoor environment. Examples of dock shelters with various header structures and side structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,205,721; 6,233,885; 7,185,463; 8,307,588 and 8,887,447; all of which are specifically incorporated by reference herein.
Some known dock shelters may include a weighted fabric curtain that hangs downwardly to contact or seal against the top of a truck trailer to form an environmental barrier along the top of the trailer.
Another type of dock shelter/seal uses inflatable side bellows and header bellows, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,553,424; 5,109,639; 5,007,211 and 4,750,299; all of which are specifically incorporated by reference herein. In some examples, a blower inflates the bellows so that they sealingly compress against the rear upper and side surfaces of the vehicle. Inflatable bellows provide a relatively high quality seal between a rear portion of the vehicle and the outside building wall surrounding the dock.